Road To Becoming A Kanto Trainer
by 4fireking
Summary: Luc is the son of Ash and May. In this story he doesn't have any speaking roles. This story follows the anime story as well as the story in the video game. There are some shocking twists in this story, and just enough moments with a Pokémon that will make you feel excited. This story may say Adventure and Suspense but there's humor, drama, romance, friendship, and spiritual moment
1. Chapter 1

**This is a story I wrote to help boost ideas for the next chapter of my longest running stories. From how many stories I've written I bet it's hard to find my longest running stories. I got the idea to write this story from an author who writes chapters in one story. That idea will help me finish stories faster and if I ever want to continue them I only need to add one chapter. I know it sounds weird and kind of silly but each chapter is over two thousand words and have an ending so I'll end them the way I want. Thank you for choosing to read this story. I know you probably had other stories you wanted to read, but I'm glad you chose this one. **

Pokémon

Being a Pokémon trainer is the greatest chapter of every boy and girls life at the age of 10. Everyone knows that. Just like everyone will know the son of Ash Ketchum and Misty. The adventurous but sometimes ignorant boy named Ash. He wears that black shirt showing off his biceps. His best al, Pikachu, helped him and grew a close bond with him since the very beginning. If it wasn't for Pikachu's help he would never have met his bride who blossomed from a Gym Leader to his girlfriend and later his wife after being his fiancée. Together they overcame Team Rocket and Ash took over as gym leader for Viridian City Gym. They also met the Gym Leader for the Pewter City Gym Brock. He was older but not as romantically mature as Ash and Misty. Like Ash and Misty who met with a little help from Ash's partner Pikachu Brock found his fated love with the help of Golbat. After all those times Brock tried to sway the feelings of every beautiful girl only one feeds him what really matters. And that was seeing if there was a girl who thought he was funny.

Marriage, children, forever lasting friendships, lasting memory's, all were some of the accomplishments a Pokémon could give to his or her trainer. With a different personality in each Pokémon, a different story told by every single one, and a dream that lifts the hearts of everything boy and girl...the nostalgia they feel after finding a new update in that dream...one can only hope for the good things that happen to good trainers. It also brought a rockslide to all bad trainers who want to use Pokémon for their own selfish desires.

Pokémon

Luc Ketchum was finally ten years old. Luc was a good kid, a kind son, but he had his mother and father's bad traits. He had Ash's silly nature. This nature was how he dressed in a parker, a red snowsuit that resembled Santa Clause, every time he was in his room. It was cold in Luc's room. When he wasn't wearing a parker he had a black shirt on with a blazing pokeball tattoo on his left bicep. All he wore for pants were blue jeans his mother always bought him. Luc may have just turned ten today but he had a Pokémon since he was nine years old. This Pokémon was really a little baby his mother gave to him for when he became a real Pokémon trainer. His Pokémon Poliwag, nicknamed Target, was jumping in his little kiddy pool.

" This kiddy pool is so much fun!" Poliwag exclaims jumping in joy.

The fun for Poliwag unfortunately was going to end. Misty knocked then entered the room. She smiled, "Time to get up, Luc."

Every morning Luc was woken by her sweet voice. He always liked to see her long hair and cherry cheeks on her face. Luc first had the urge to stretch his arms when he woke up every morning in this same room after trying so hard to treat Poliwag right. Sometimes Poliwag liked to treat Luc wrong before he tried to treat him right. Luc grabbed Poliwag and carried him out the door. Something smelled good in the table that could only be his mother's cooking because his father couldn't cook to save his life. Luc sat down and listened to what his parents said. As his mother always said the more parents spend time with their children the better their relationship.

" Are you feeling okay?" Ash asked Luc who was taking a bite of his cereal. Luc simply nodded eating his cereal. " Aren't you glad your mother woke you up? When I was your age I accidentally slept in and was stuck with the replacement Pokémon. I was glad I made that mistake otherwise I would have never met Pikachu."

Luc finished. He picked up his dirty dishes and Target's dirty dishes, and then he took them to the sink to be washed. The way he did everything without saying a word meant he was a good son. The reason Luc doesn't say a word to anyone is he likes to hear people talk. The first thing he was taught when he was born was communication. Communicating was easy, but knowing what to say to someone was very difficult.

Luc picked up his bag and returned Target into his pokeball. Luc carried a white duffle bag with snacks, clothes, and other essentials he might use on his journey. His mother kissed him on the cheek good-bye.

" Remember," his father said. " Pokémon are your friends. If you give them your heart and passion and not consent they will listen to you."

His mother and father. He was going to miss them on the journey he was starting. He was just going to collect his badges and enter the Indigo Plateau than return to his town of Pallet Town. Beautiful Pallet Town. His parents would hold him a party when he gets back home.

Pokémon

" How are my starter Pokémon today?" Professor Gary gleamed at his three Pokémon eating in their bowls of Pokefood. There was the green dinosaur with a bulb on his back Bulbasaur, the orange lizard with the fire on his tail Charmander, and the blue turtle Pokémon with the brown shell Squirtle. Professor Gary was smiling at them while they ate. " A year and a half later you're finally getting adopted."

Professor Gary wanted to fulfill his grandfather's role since he was ten year old. He once was a Pokémon Trainer and Ash's rival. Even though his last name was Oak he went with Gary because Oak was too confusing. Gary and Ash never got the chance to battle in the Indigo Plateau. It was lucky for them they got to battle in the Silver Conference. He learned a valuable lesson from Ash. It made him rethink all those things about Pokémon and study more to become a professor like his grandpa. He enjoyed music, studying new Pokémon, capturing new Pokémon, and different regions and evolutions. He was a true prodegee to his grandfather Professor Oak. But what he really missed was the chance to go to the Indigo Plateau and win like he planned twenty years ago.

" Professor," said a voice Gary recognized as his assistant Yolei. She was a bespectcled beauty. Young but had hair so forest green it looked gray. She carried a clipboard and on her shoulder was her Pokemon Caterpie. Caterpie's were bug type green caterpillar's with U shaped horns on their heads. " The Pokemon Trainer's will be showing up in five minutes."

" Thank you, Yolei, but I'm aware when they will show up," Gary laughed.

" I was just trying to tell you so you wouldn't be surprised when I tell you you're not wearing the same color of socks."

Professor Gary looked at his socks. He accidentally put the red one with the green one. He laughed and so did Yolei. But their laughter ended when they heard a loud sound crying in the lab. All of a sudden workers in the lab were running out of the building. Gary and Yolei stayed. They turned around and looked at Squirtle, screaming his turtle head off.

" What's wrong with Squirtle?" Yolei asked.

" I don't know," Gary said. " He must be hearing something he doesn't like."

Charmander and Bulbasaur jumped off and charged out the front door. Charmander made it, but Bulbasaur was captured by Gary. Yolei could have caught Charmander; she was trying to keep Squirtle calm.

" Squirtle, it's me, Yolei. Everything is okay-"

All of a sudden something loud screeched through Yolei's ear. It was like an Aerodactyl using screech on all of them. Gary covered his ears and Bulbasaur escaped. Yolei too covered her ears when she heard that siren. Squirtle, the most affected by it, used Bubblebeam on the ceiling. Falling debris fell down and crashed into Yolei.

There was no escape.

Chapter 1 Fanmade Pokedex:

Poliwag. Some might call them the Tadpole Pokemon. Poliwag you can find in Pokemon Red/Blue, Gold/Silver, X/Y You can fish for it in Pallet Town in Pokemon Red or Route 22. Their best move is Hypnosis and Bubblebeam

Caterpie. Some might call them the Caterpillar Pokemon. Caterpie you can find in the same games in forests on your way to the first gym leader. They evolved at the earliest levels, except those Pokemon you used stones to evolve, and were made into another replica called Wurmple. Their famous move is String Shot.

Bulbasaur/Charmander/Squirtle: Starter Pokemon of the Pokemon Red/Blue/Green and Firered/Leafgreen series, and later Starter Pokemon in X/Y as well Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire (which you receive after beating the Elite Four. If not the first time then the third, fourth, or fifth time). They are exceptionally good Pokemon who learn the best move sets. Except you can chose only one for your starter Pokemon and whichever one you chose your rival (the name you gave him) will chose one that's super effective against them.

Thank you for reading this first chapter. I was going to make it longer, but I think a cliffhanger on the first chapter was better. Please review. This was written only by me and follows the events of the anime.


	2. Chapter 2

**Oblivious Ghost and I worked on this chapter together. I know some didn't like the beginning of this story but it was long ago since I wrote it. My writing has improved but still needs improvement. I also changed a few things about the chapters. **

XXX

The Moments.

That's what Ash had called them. He'd been laughing, grinning in Gary's face as he told him that, most of the time, you needed to plan. To win, you had to prepare and strategize- two things Gary excelled at.

But sometimes- the Moments- you had to just _do._

He'd run across plenty of those situations. During his Trainer journey, sure, but even more recently, as a Professor- finding information in dangerous locales afforded him no end of tense, action-fueled escapes. Snapshots of time when, had he hesitated or tried to think for just a second more, he might have regretted it for the rest of his life.

Professor Gary Oak knew without a doubt that this was one such moment.

He moved as fast as his mind processed what he was seeing. Water attacks from the panicked Squirtle continued to ravage the ceiling, and he was already reaching for a Poké Ball; cracks in the plaster released hissing dust and bits of debris, and he activated the device's release sequence.

By the time bigger chunks of the building were starting to rain down, a fully-grown Alakazam was standing before him, holding tightly to her two spoons as she focused her psychic power. Sadhu, one of the Professor's prized Pokémon, was a sight to behold: The dark amber of her skin-armor was marred by several scars, and two calculating eyes took in the scene in front of her.

The Psychic instantly recognized the danger of the situation. A Kinesis attack emanated in barely-visible waves from the spoons, and she directed the energy to the center of the room, where the damage was greatest. Some pieces of debris had already crashed to the floor, but the Psychic power was enough to freeze the rest in the air. As Gary watched, the Alakazam slowly manipulated the power and telepathically carried the metal and plaster chunks to an unoccupied corner of the room. Only the gaping, sunlit holes in the ceiling and the fine dust coating the lab revealed what had happened.

"Yolei?" Gary called, but quickly regretted the decision to speak, as the dirt and heavy air clogged his throat. Coughing, he tried to yell her name again, but had to settle for moving forward and scanning the room for his assistant.

Alakazam gestured towards the far wall, and Gary followed the Pokémon's gaze. At first, he saw only a glowing red orb standing tall, but the energy slowly faded until he could see its source.

"Well, Professor." Yolei appeared startled, but not distraught- looking around the space with interest, she absently rubbed the ears of her loyal Umbreon. "...I look forward to hearing you explain this to the new Trainers."

The dry remark made Gary smile, but his attention was diverted to the researcher's Pokémon. It had been a Protect attack, no doubt about that- and it had to have been instantaneous, for Yolei's coat didn't have a speck on it. To create the barrier so quickly, without any gaps in the energy field... he had to marvel at the Umbreon's power.

A trembling, nervous form poked out from behind Yolei's lower leg, and Gary was shocked to see the Squirtle had been inside the protective sphere as well. "Quick thinking," he said with another cough. "I probably wouldn't have been able to get to him in time."

The scientist frowned. "That's why I did. More importantly, why did I need to?"

Gary glanced up to the ceiling. "I'm not sure," he said quietly. "It was an attack of some kind. Sound-based, perhaps? Screech, or..." his voice trailed off.

Yolei joined him in the center of the room, shaking her head at the destruction. "Whatever it was, it's gone now." She sighed and rubbed her forehead. "I'll ask around. See if people saw anything unusual around town."

"Thank you." He held up the Alakazam's Poké Ball, then hesitated. "No... wait. Sadhu, scan the area. If you find any information that could lead us to the attacker, let me know."

The Psychic Pokémon nodded, then closed her eyes. A flash of energy preceded a Teleport, and she was gone in an instant. Yolei blinked several times. "...All right. What should I do, then?"

Gary sighed. "The town's going to want to know what happened. We'll need to prepare some kind of statement, especially since the new Trainers are coming... to..." His eyes went wide. "Where's Squirtle?"

The two looked around, beginning to panic as they realized that the starter Pokémon had vanished. Yolei froze. "And what about Charmander? I didn't see where he went in the confusion."

The Professor cursed under his breath, and he and his assistant rushed to the front of the lab. Sprinting through the door, they found Squirtle huddled in a rock garden against the outside wall, shaking and mumbling incoherent noises. Puddles of water surrounded him, and some reached even further away, on the path leading from the building.

Scorch marks were evident as well.

Yolei knelt at the Pokémon's side, trying to comfort him as Gary stared off into the distance. Panicking, the Squirtle had to have scared away his fellow starter with frenzied Water attacks. There was no telling where the Charmander had gone.

"Yolei." She looked up when he called over his shoulder, worry evident in his voice. "As best as you can, try to get the lab ready for the new Trainers."

"What?" Incredulous, she stood and faced him. "What will you do?"

He started down the path. "I'm going to find Charmander."

[]

Luc hadn't closed the door.

He told himself it was because he hadn't wanted to seem rude. But the more he thought about it, the more he considered that it was so he could delay the last moment as long as possible- saying goodbye to his parents. A couple of times while walking away from the house, he'd turned back and waved, a giant smile on his face.

He hadn't really left at the door. He'd left when he turned the corner, and suddenly his house was gone, and his _family_ was gone, and he could see the path in the distance. The path that everyone knew.

The first Route.

He was there, now- one foot planted in the ankle-high grass that marked the beginning of a fledgling Trainer's journey. Target was still in his Poké Ball, and the strap of the duffel bag dug into his shoulder as he stared forward. Two traces of an idea struggled in his mind: one thought insisted that he was only one of many, many young Trainers who thought they could succeed in this quest. What chance did he really have?

But the other thought was enough to bring a smile to his face, helping him take the first few steps into the grass. It told him that every Trainer, every Gym Leader, every Champion- they'd all had a start just like this. He was practically following in their footsteps.

Maybe even those of his father, too.

Luc had only been walking for a few minutes when a sharp cry tore through the air. Definitely from a Pokémon, but he couldn't tell what kind; he started running through the field, trying to hone in on the sound. It only lasted a few seconds. Frustrated, Luc searched the scenery- bushes, trees, and the occasional bare patch of dirt- for anything out of the ordinary, but he couldn't find the source of the noise.

A much harsher growl rang out. He had to have gotten closer, because the sound was clearer now, guttural and angry. Luc tensed, then started forward again, toward a ridge in the ground. As soon as he neared it, he realized he'd found one of the Route's well-known ledges: shallow enough that jumping down wouldn't be a problem, but nearly impossible to climb back up. Without hesitating, he planted a hand on the ground and swung himself over the edge.

...

Once, months ago, his father had told him what to expect on this Route.

...

He'd casually mentioned that the first wild Pokémon he saw would probably be a Rattata or a Pidgey, or- and he shouldn't get his hopes up, because it was _extremely_ rare to find anything but the first two- maybe even a Pidgeotto.

...

Luc had walked straight into the heart of 'extremely rare'.

A bulky Raticate was crouched a few yards away, staring at the base of a young tree. The Pokémon was twitching erratically, hands and feet scuffing the grass while its whiskers hummed and vibrated. Fangs snapped and gnashed, and beady eyes darted from the tree to the space around it, as if the Raticate was trying to scope out any possible escape plans for its prey.

Luc's eyes went wide. The 'prey' had suddenly moved, trying to curl up and push even closer against the side of the tree, and the movement had helped him realize what it was. Something that shouldn't have been in this Route at all.

The Charmander. One of Professor Gary's prized Pokémon, meant to be presented to a worthy young Trainer later that day.

...How on earth was it _here?_

Because he had Target, Luc hadn't given much thought to the three 'traditional' starter Pokémon. Once in a while, though, he'd heard snippets of instruction from others, and if he remembered correctly, Fire Pokémon often had more natural power than other Types, which might have more quickness or defensive abilities. Supposedly, Charmander was no exception to this rule.

_I bet it could win._

The thought came to him out of nowhere, and Luc was tempted to dismiss it immediately. After all, the Raticate was clearly the predator in this situation- the Charmander was terrified, to say nothing of the physical disadvantage. But something unclear, something pulling at the back of his mind, told him that he could help.

The Charmander's head snapped up, and wide eyes stared across the field at Luc.

Shocked, he took a step back. Could... could it hear him? His thoughts? He'd long known he had a connection with Target, of course, but he'd never considered that the ability could extend to other Pokemon as well. Concentrating, he tried to form his next thought as clearly as he could. _Don't be scared._

It didn't move, but the blue eyes blinked a few times, and Luc wondered if it was his imagination, or if the Charmander really did seem more confident.

_Get ready to run_.

He'd noticed the Raticate's back legs bunching up, as if it was about to spring forward. The grating sound emitted from its throat again, and just as quickly as it had vanished, the worried and frantic look returned to the Charmander's expression. _A Growl attack_, Luc realized. Something about the situation seemed familiar- he'd learned something about this, hadn't he? Different scales of attacking power. Pokémon moves were weakened by tricks like this, right?

The Raticate's eyes grew narrower. Luc swallowed.

_Go_.

Three things happened at once. The Normal Pokémon leaped, closing the distance in a few seconds, but completely committed to its trajectory. The Charmander, forewarned by Luc, took the opportunity to scamper sideways, leaving the Raticate to collide with the tree. And at the same time, Luc remembered something else. 'Growl' weakened some attacks. Not all.

_Can you attack with fire yet?_

The Raticate turned, snarling in fury, and for an instant, Luc was afraid the Charmander had no way of reacting to his useless command. But then, a burst of orange Embers flew from the Pokémon's mouth, scoring a direct hit on its opponent's face. With a surprised squeal, it staggered back, shaking its body as it tried to dislodge the pellets of fire, and the Charmander stepped forward. A determined look in its eyes, it shook its hands, baring claws and likely preparing a Scratch attack.

Luc thought quickly. _No. Ember again. It's more powerful right now._ The words seemed more harsh than he'd intended, and he worried that they might go ignored- but the Charmander seemed to nod, and before he could even look back to the Raticate, another jet of flame was in the air.

The Pokémon let out a pained grunt, and turned away from the Charmander for a second. _It's burned_, Luc noticed. _Its attacks will be weaker. Don't be afraid_. Even as he sent the thought, he also saw the Raticate look back up with a frenzied glare. _Stand your ground. It has to fight close-up._

Visibly nervous, the Charmander seemed to be shaking as the Raticate charged towards it.

_You don't._

Fangs bared, it leaped into the air once again. Luc forced himself not to look away as the Raticate fell closer and closer.

A blaze of red and orange obscured his vision for an instant, and suddenly Charmander was standing tall- still shaken, but unhurt- while the Raticate collapsed to the ground a few feet away. The posture and slower breathing indicated that it had Fainted, and would probably recover in a few minutes, free of any desire to continue this particular battle.

Luc smiled in relief, stepping closer to the now-burned stretch of ground the two Pokémon rested on. As exhilarating as the battle had been, he knew he'd have to bring the Charmander back to Pallet, especially since the new Trainers were set to begin their journeys today. Nearing the Fire Pokémon, he knelt down, cautiously holding his hand out. _That was impressive_.

It wasn't trembling as much now. The Charmander stared up, eyes just as wide as before.

Luc grinned. _I'm proud of you_.

With a cautious step forward, the Pokémon sniffed his hand, then let Luc scratch the top of its head. Luc chuckled at the creature's quiet purr, and-

"Hey!"

Startled by the noise, he stood immediately and nearly lost his balance. On the lip of the ridge stood Gary Oak, and Luc's mind went blank at the sight of the famous Professor. How was he going to explain this? Sure, the man knew his father well, but still...

"Luc, isn't it?" The Professor carefully made his way down the steep ledge, then started across the field. "I'm certainly glad to see he hasn't gotten himself into any trouble," he said cheerfully. "When he got away from the lab, we were worried he'd end up picking a fight with..."

His words trailed off as soon as he saw the Raticate's resting form. The burn marks on the ground seemed to make themselves known in his expression, too, and his eyes went wide before glancing back at Luc. "Did... did he do this?"

'He'. Not 'it'. For a moment, Luc felt embarrassed that he'd been thinking of the Charmander as just another Pokémon. Grateful that the Professor wasn't demanding a verbal explanation, he nodded.

The Professor blinked and looked around again, clearly amazed. "And you- did you tell him how to fight? No, that's... he wouldn't have followed an unfamiliar voice. Audible commands wouldn't-" He paused. "But he's a lab-raised Pokémon. There's no way he could have... not without someone telling him what to..."

He seemed to be talking to himself now, mumbling with a frown as he debated several ideas and possibilities. Luc nervously looked back down to the Charmander, who was glancing between him and the Professor.

With a gasp, he looked back up at Luc. "Can you communicate with him?" he asked quietly. "Without speaking?"

Even though he was still slightly intimidated by the Professor's presence, Luc had to smile as an impish idea found its way into his mind. He quickly asked the Charmander to use its Scratch attack in a very specific way.

Both Luc and Professor Gary watched as the Pokémon bent down and began to drag its claws across a patch of dirt.

_Another at the end of that line. All right, now over there- yes, and a curved line there-_

The Professor raised his eyebrows. "...Well, I suppose that's that," he said with a chuckle.

The Charmander stood up proudly. Scratched into the ground was a single word:

YES.

[]

"I'm sure you know how unusual this is."

They'd made the short trek back to Pallet Town, even passing a few departing Trainers along the way. Luc had gaped at the damaged building once they'd arrived, and even now, standing in the lab itself, was still having difficulty understanding exactly what had happened.

"Not only the-" Professor Gary paused, turning to his assistant just before she left. "Thank you again, Yolei. I truly left you with far too much to accomplish, but you found a way."

The assistant turned away from the door. "We'll be on the evening news, and I'm afraid I stumbled my way through a few interviews, but... yes, it's technically taken care of." She paused. "Oh, and a few of the new Trainers will be returning this weekend. We should have more Pokémon to present by then."

"Excellent." As she departed, the Professor turned his attention back to Luc. "As I was saying, the attack on the lab isn't the only element making this situation strange."

Luc pointedly looked at the Charmander, who'd made the trip back without returning to a Poké Ball. "Yes," the Professor smiled. "I don't know if you've heard of a Pokémon bonding with a Trainer so quickly, but I believe that's what has happened. And even more unusual is the way you were able to command him in the battle. You have a gift, Luc."

He looked down at his shoes, trying to hide the grin on his face. It was... honestly, it felt pretty great to have the Professor give him a compliment like that. But the full weight of the words hit him, and he swung his head back up immediately, staring with the obvious question in his eyes.

The Professor nodded. "I don't think I could take him away from you in good conscience, now." The Charmander chirped happily, nuzzling his forehead against Luc's leg. "It seems he doesn't object, so... say hello to your new Pokémon."

He turned towards some shelves on the back wall, and Luc took the chance to kneel closer to the Charmander's face. The fanged mouth was curved into a grin, and his eyes were closed in a happy expression as he wagged his tail. Luc smiled at the display, then scratched the Charmander under his chin. _Looks like we're going on this journey together, buddy_. He paused briefly, considering what to name his Pokémon, then shook his head. A decision like that needed more time, and he didn't want to saddle him with a poor choice just because he'd been eager.

"You'll be needing these." The Professor had returned. Luc stood, and was presented with five Poké Balls to affix to his belt. "Use them wisely," Professor Gary said. "Although you'll be able to buy them in nearly every city in Kanto. Oh, and I can't forget about this!"

The next item was something Luc had only heard about. The reflective red case opened up to reveal a miniature computer screen, keyboard, and other mechanical interfaces he didn't even recognize. The Pokédex. "You may already know this, but this device will instantly record information about any Pokémon you encounter," he said with a hint of fondness in his voice, as if he was remembering his own Trainer journey. "And this model is even more advanced than the ones your father and I used."

Luc took the machine almost reverently. "One last thing," the Professor said quickly. He grabbed a stack of papers off the shelf. "Now let's see, where'd I put that... A-ha! Here it is!" With a flourish, he held out a folded stack of paper. As soon as Luc took it, some of the folds slipped out, unfurling until he could see a clear map of the Kanto region. "A map like this can save your life. Don't underestimate how important it is to know where you are."

With a grateful nod, Luc pocketed the last item. With the Professor's words, he was starting to grow nervous: this second 'start' to his journey felt much more serious than the first. He looked to the door of the lab, suddenly more nervous about the world waiting outside.

"Before you go..." He turned back, and the Professor was rubbing the back of his neck, apparently nervous about what he was going to say next. "There's something I should tell you."

The Charmander nuzzled his nose against Luc's leg, smiling up at him. The Professor exhaled quickly, looking worried. "I think you'll need to be very careful on this journey, for two reasons," he said. "First, it's no secret that your father is a close friend of mine. I suspect you'll run into more than a few people who think that's the only reason you received a starter Pokémon. If you're serious about becoming a Trainer, you'll have to be more than just good. You'll have to be better than anyone expects."

Surprised, Luc nodded. Professor Gary narrowed his eyes. "The second reason is more complicated. I told you that you have a gift, and that's true. The ability to communicate with your Pokémon as strongly as you do... it's a wonderful thing. It's also very mysterious. I won't ask how you came to have it, but I will tell you that if you're not careful, this ability is going to put a spotlight on you. For better or worse, you're going to have a lot of people who want to know how you do it."

_Or those who want to exploit it_. The Professor didn't say it, but Luc could fill in the gap in his mind. Trying not to let the apprehension show, he simply nodded. The Professor blinked and stood up straighter. "Well, would you listen to me. Leaving you on such a worrisome note. I'm sorry, Luc- after all, this is a great moment! The official beginning of a new Trainer's journey." Clapping Luc on the shoulder, he smiled broadly. "Best of luck, son. Take good care of that Charmander. And also- don't worry, I say this to every Trainer- always remember you can return to Pallet if you need to. I'm sure your parents in particular will be happy to help you in any way they can."

Luc took a deep breath, then nodded his thanks once more. Turning, he made his way to the front door of the lab and stood before the threshold.

It was all warring in his mind again. The excitement, the worry, the uncertainty about the future- and he could hardly even start to process everything the Professor had told him, on top of it all. This time, though, he found no resolution, no single thought that made him feel comfortable and eager again. Instead, he tried to shake off the nerves, resolutely stepping out of the building.

It was time to begin.

[]

...

...

...

...Well, _this_ was going to be interesting.

In the higher boughs of one of the trees on the edge of Pallet Town's forest, eyes peered out at the buildings below. The Professor's blasted Alakazam made it difficult to do any real reconnaissance. However, there were ways to avoid Sadhu's detection.

A Murkrow on a nearby branch flapped its wings, maintaining a Dark Pulse attack that masked the area from any Psychic searching. It was unfortunate that, to gather intelligence on the town, one had to be so far away from its inhabitants- but, she considered, that was probably the price to pay for the chance she'd received. After all, who got the chance to successfully attack the famed Pallet Town Pokémon lab?

Hm. Perhaps not 'successfully'. She scowled, remembering how she'd seen both the Professor and his assistant escape the building completely unharmed, no doubt due to that Alakazam. In effect, her plan had failed.

No matter. She could be patient. The Professor wouldn't always be so lucky.

She froze as she saw a figure depart from the lab. A child, it seemed- young enough to be one of the new Trainers- was starting down the town road, a Charmander waddling behind him. He turned to the Pokémon, but didn't say anything.

This was... odd. Most new Trainers either talked nonstop, hoping to establish an instant connection with their new partner, or simply returned it to the Poké Ball. But this boy was simply walking alongside the Charmander, occasionally glancing down at him.

As if they were having a conversation.

Her eyes went wide. This was... this was something special. Even as she watched him leave the city, she started to muse over plans and schemes.

She would have her revenge on Gary Oak. And this boy was going to help her get it.

.


	3. Chapter 3

**Zorua Illusion is the one who helped me write this chapter. Thank you. Someday this story will be finished and I'll have another author to thank for it. Please read and review. **

XXX

Luc smiled as he once again started on the First Route. He turned back to glance at his hometown one last time before he headed off.

_Homesick already_? Charmander asked him.

_I'm going to miss mom and dad_, Luc replied.

Nodding his acceptance, the two walked forward, the ankle high grass clearly grating against the 2' tall Pokémon. Luc picked him up after Charmander got his foot tangled in some weeds when he was looking back to ensure his tail wasn't lighting anything on fire.  
A distressed look had appeared on Charmander's face when Luc lifted him. Settling the fire type into his arms, Luc mentally reassured him. _It's okay to need help._

Charmander rubbed his head against Luc's arm. _Thanks._

The two continued on their way, alert for sounds that could indicate wild Pokémon. Luc knew that one of the purposes of the Pokedex was to help the professors in various regions study Pokémon by having a central database of information. The weight of the machine in his pocket was a comforting one, letting him know that if he ran across a Pokémon he was unfamiliar with, the device would help him out.

He identified Pidgey when a flock of them flew overhead, but didn't bother with trying to capture one. If one attacked them, then he might give it a try, but because they were just minding their own business he didn't interrupt them. Rattatta was next, a lone female gathering berries from a "tree". Luc wasn't quite sure why they were called berry trees; they were about half of his height when fully grown and were probably closer to bushes than anything, but trees they were called.

Luc knew that he should probably expand beyond the two Pokémon he currently had in his party, or battle something to get some amount of experience, but he couldn't bring himself to have Charmander attack any of the peaceful Pokémon. He'd find the rest of his team later.

As he wandered down the First Route, Luc wondered if he should try to seek out a human companion. When his father told him stories of his adventures, he always talked about Brock and Misty, his mother, and how they helped him and how they met. Luc thought it would be a good idea to see if he could find someone who would help him on his journey while he helped them on theirs.  
He shrugged, deciding that if it was going to happen it would, but right now, he should focus on just getting to the next town where the first gym was- Viridian City. Luckily, the First Route was not a long one – at least, not as long as the others, which could take up to a week to traverse on foot- and he knew he should be able to get to the Pokémon Center by nightfall.

His good luck held: he was able to get into Viridian City by nightfall as he planned, getting a room in the Pokémon Center as per his parents' recommendation.

' _Tomorrow,'_ he thought, '_ is the real beginning of my Pokémon adventure. Just like mom and dad's!'_

How correct he was, unknowing of the dangers that lurked in shadows…

[]

The next morning, Luc woke up to find Charmander staring at him. Luc glanced at the clock and had to do a double take.

_It's already 11:30?! I didn't mean to sleep in so late!_

_It's okay,_ Charmander said, _You were pretty excited since I've met you. You were probably really tired._

Luc expressed his thanks in a smile. He picked up the lizard like Pokémon and asked Do we want to challenge the Gym right away or train for a bit?

_Worst we can do is lose and come back,_ Charmander agreed.

Luc felt a little guilty that he didn't bring Target along, but Target wasn't interested in traveling the region, so Luc left him at home.  
Luc nodded and took his Pokémon downstairs to eat. Afterwards, they went and headed towards the large building that was the Viridian City Gym.

They never made it inside.

As they approached the door, a young male who appeared to be just a little bit older than Luc himself.

"Please don't," he nearly begged Luc.

Luc and the Pokémon started, surprised by the boy they hadn't seen before. Luc tilted his head once the sentence registered: a universal signal for "why?".

"It's too dangerous in there. There's something wrong about the Gym now… I can't explain it in detail, but please believe me when I say it's too dangerous to go in there right now."

He looked so heartfelt and desperate that Luc believed him.

_I believe him too,_ Charmander said.

Luc nodded, much to the relief of the boy.

"Thank you. You're the first person to believe me," he said gratefully. "Hey, did you train for this?"

Luc shook his head.

"Ah, one of the 'I'm gonna see what it's like first' types?" the boy asked knowingly.

Luc nodded, remembering Professor Oak's advice on telling people about his ability. Besides, it wasn't a complete lie.

"You'll need to train for the next one… I know a place. Do you want to see it?"

Luc shrugged and nodded. He trusted this kid, at least a little.

"Follow me!" The stranger lead him past a few buildings and into another area of the forest nearby. Luc didn't know about this path near Viridian City and he suspected that not many others did either.

As he lead Luc through the path, the boy turned and said "You can call me Troy, by the way. It had just occurred to me that I never gave my name or asked for yours."

Luc mimed looking for something, then made a motion like a river.

"Looking for… water? … Oh! Charades? Not a big fan of talking then, are you? Uh… Wade? River? Um… Lake?"

Luc shook his hand in a "kind of" motion quickly before securing Charmander once again.

"Oh! Luke?"

Luc nodded before once again removing his hand to make a "c" out of his fingers.

"L-U-C?" Troy guessed.

Luc gave a thumbs up before once again holding up Charmander. He gestured at his party before looking at Troy curiously.

"Who do I have?" Troy looked ahead and grinned. "You'll find out shortly."

The path ended suddenly, leaving Luc a little disoriented as the bushes and shrubs melted away into a field with a large building that could pass as a Gym in the center.

Luc would've gazed in awe, but Troy lead him straight up to the door which he opened.

Inside was large enough for three medium-sized Pokémon battlefields, one of which was currently not being used.

"This is a Secret Gym. Apparently, there's at least one in every region. The hard part is finding them; most people never even hear about these. Unlike most Gyms, this one is purely for training. The best part? You train against other trainers, so you can get actual, real experience in battling against others as opposed to wild Pokémon, who are usually just looking to run away." Troy grinned.

"Hey Troy! Wanna battle? Hey, who's the newbie?" A girl who was about a year older than Troy asked.

"This is Luc, L-U-C. And sure, I need to show him the ropes!" Troy turned back to Luc smiling.

Luc felt the excitement from his two Pokémon at the prospect of watching a Trainer battle. Luc smiled back, following the two as they walked towards the unoccupied field and taking a seat far enough away to where stray attacks wouldn't be an issue but close enough to see.

"This is a Single Three versus Three battle! The challenger starts! Begin!" Another boy had popped over to be the referee.

"Let's go Jolteon!" A yellow foxlike critter emerged from the light of the Pokeball. Luc used his Pokedex on Jolteon to register it in the device.

"Come on out Ivysaur!"

An odd choice, but not a bad one, Charmander said, grass is strong against electric for whatever reason.

"Your move," the girl grinned.

"I believe he said 'challenger'. It wasn't me who walked up to you!" Troy laughed.

The girl shrugged. "Waste not, want not! Alright Jolteon, let's start this with a Quick Attack!"

A blur leapt towards Ivysaur. Troy shouted "Left, Ivysaur!", but the Seed Pokémon was too slow to avoid the quick tackle. Ivysaur was able to shake it off, however, and followed Troy's command.

"Point blank! Use Sleep Powder!"

"Move it or lose it, Jolteon!"

A few wisps of powder from Ivysaur's bulb landed on Jolteon, making it drowsy but still standing.

_Jolteon sure is quick!_

Charmander nodded. _I heard that speed is Jolteon's best stat… but Ivysaur looks tough. It's going to take a lot of hits to send him packing._ A slight tremble came with the observation.

"Let's try it, Jolteon! Thundershock!"

A little wisp of electricity speed towards Ivysaur, but this time the green Pokémon had enough time to obey the command to dodge.  
"Ivysaur! Use Razor leaf!" A multitude of leaves were thrown at Jolteon. The Lightning Pokémon was able to dodge a few of them, but there were just too many.

Not a lot of damage, but he's got a grasp, Luc noted.

She looks worried. This wasn't what she thought he was going to do, Charmander pointed out.

The other Trainer composed herself quickly. "Jolteon! Use Quick Attack to burst through, then use Thunder Fang!"

Jolteon started the action, but Troy was prepared.

"Ivysaur! Let 'em get close, but use Sleep Powder before they can use Thunder Fang!"

The Seed Pokémon did just that, sending Jolteon into a deep sleep.

"Good job Ivysaur! Now use Take Down!"

Jolteon fainted this time around, but Ivysaur was damaged by the recoil.

"Jolteon is unable to battle! Ivysaur wins the first round!" the announcer crowed.

"You did great, Jolteon! Return!" A red beam encased Jolteon, returning it to its Pokeball.

"Nicely done, Jolteon! Go get them, Sandslash!"

The yellow and brown Pokémon came out and cried its name, obviously happy to have a chance of helping their Trainer.

_Odd choice. Then again, my dad used his Pikachu against a Piloswine and won._

_How does that work_? Charmander asked.

He never got a reply, as Sandslash leapt into action after a command had been issued that the three had missed in their conversation.

Ivysaur winced as the claws came in contact.

"A critical hit!" the referee announced.

That's going to cost them, Charmander said.

"Try Sleep Powder!"

"Use Rapid Spin to get around it, then use Magnitude!"

It was a lucky strike- Magnitude dealt enough damage to make Ivysaur faint.

"Ivysaur is unable to battle! Sandslash wins Round Two!" the announcer cut in.

Troy returned Ivysaur to its Pokeball. "Great job," he whispered at the device. "Go, Scyther!"

_Ooh, that's a good choice. Magnitude won't have any effect now!_ Luc said.

_Just hope Sandslash doesn't use Roll Out, else Scyther might be out in a turn or two,_ Charmender explained.

"Scyther! Use False Swipe!"

_Interesting choice,_ Charmander commented.

The move hit, dealing some damage to Sandslash, but not enough to keep it from obeying the retaliation command of "Use Crush Claw!"

Scyther, however, was nearly as fast as Jolteon and was able to nimbly move out of the way before following Troy's command: "Pursuit!"

The move knocked out Sandslash. The referee called "Sandslash is unable to battle! Round Three goes to Scyther!"

The girl recalled Sandslash, thanking it for its efforts, and sent out Poliwhirl.

Troy chose to recall Scyther, sending out Diglett in its stead.

_Interesting type match up. Isn't water super effective against ground?_ Charmander asked.

_This battle's been full of surprises. What's one more?_

"Use Bubble Beam Poliwhirl!"

"It's not going to be that easy! Dig to get away, Diglett, and use Astonish!"

The digging had disoriented the Poliwhirl, allowing Diglett an opening. The loud noises it made combined with the surprise of it popping out of the ground startled Poliwhirl and gave a large opening- large enough for another attack.

"Use Mud-Bomb!"

_That didn't help much HP wise_, Charmander commented.

_But now it can't see until the mud gets out of its eyes,_ Luc pointed out.

"Listen for it! Try Body Slam!"

Unfortunately, listening wasn't Poliwhirl's strong point and the attack missed by a long shot.

"Dig to move around, Diglett! Use Bulldoze!" The attack hit, dizzying Poliwhirl and making it move slower than before.

"Try getting it when it pops up next to you with Bubble Beam!"

"Dodge it, then use Sucker Punch!"

Despite the ineffectiveness of the Ground-type moves against Poliwhirl, it fell after Diglett landed its last attack.

"Poliwhirl is unable to battle! Diglett wins Round Four, and Troy wins the battle! Good match, everyone!" The referee disappeared somewhere, but Luc didn't pay much head. He was walking up to congratulate Troy, but didn't want to interrupt the conversation the girl had started with him.

Another kid came up and said "Hey, newbie. Wanna battle?"

Luc nodded and followed the boy to another ring that had apparently opened up. Another kid joined to be referee.

_Can I try?_ Charmander asked.  
Luc set the Pokémon on the ground, allowing him to take his place about ten paces in front of his trainer.

"Show 'em what you're made of, Geodude!"

"This is a one on one battle! The battle ends when either side's Pokémon is unable to continue. The challenger has the first move.

Begin!"

"Rock Throw!"

_Dodge it_, _Charmander_! Luc made a hand motion to go with his command. Charmander had turned his head enough to see the motion and moved right, as indicated. _Try Ember!_

The Geodude twitched as the embers hit it, but not much else.

"Magnitude!"

Even if he wanted to, Charmander couldn't dodge. The move was super effective and Charmander fainted.

"Charmander is unable to battle. Geodude and Joel win!"

Luc ran out to get Charmander. _Sorry._

Charmander curled into Luc a bit.

"How many badges do you have, kid?" the person who challenged Luc demanded.

Luc shook his head, gently rubbing his fingers over Charmander.

"It's not a surprise a weakling like you has none. Jeez, what did you even come out here for?"

"Hey! Don't call him weak!" Troy's voice was a welcome interruption. "Just because he's not strong yet doesn't give you the right to make fun of him! Besides, they usually have friends in higher places. Like me. Get back on the field, we're doing this now."

"Aw, another badgeless trainer want to help his friend?" Joel used a baby voice to talk to Troy, who somehow managed not to explode.

"For your information, Joel, I have two badges and have heard a lot about you. None of it good. Now get to your side."

The referee from Troy's match came back.

"Alright, this is a single one on one battle that will end when one side is unable to continue. The challenger starts. Begin!"

"Come on, Geodude!"

"Go, Ivysaur!"

"The challenger begins," Joel smirked. Troy did not show a reaction, but instead simply said "Ivysaur, Sleep Powder."

"Dodge it, Geodude!"

"Mirror it, Ivysaur!"

The power landed on Geodude, making the Rock Pokémon yawn before falling asleep.

"Get up Geodude!"

"Ivysaur. Point blank Razor Leaf."

The Geodude didn't stand a chance.

"Geodude is unable to battle. Ivysaur and Troy win!" the referee disappeared after his announcement finished.

"Leave, Joel."

The other kid hissed but recalled his Pokémon and stormed away.

Luc gave a watery smile to Troy.

"He's always been a jerk. Sorry I wasn't there to help you out. Here." A yellow, rhombus gem was removed from Troy's pocket and placed on Charmander's forehead. Slowly, the Flame Pokémon opened his eyes and looked at Luc before giving him his version of a grin.

Luc smiled and rubbed Charmander's belly.

"Let's get him to Nurse Joy, she'll heal him up. And then you can come back and get stronger against people who aren't jerks," Troy offered.

Luc nodded, accepting the proposition, but a question came to him. He pointed at Troy, then at himself.

"Do you want me to travel with you?"

Luc nodded. He could use all the help he could get, and Troy seemed knowledgable. Besides, his dad met Brock on his journey, and now they're best friends! Maybe he and Troy could end up like that.

"Sure. Quiet ones can't travel alone. Who's going to see you kick butt then?" Troy grinned.

Luc smiled. It was the start of something great; he just knew it.

Ivysaur: the Seed Pokémon. There is a plant bulb on its back. When it absorbs nutrients, the bulb is said to blossom into a large flower.

Jolteon: the Lightning Pokémon. Every hair on its body starts to stand sharply on end if it becomes charged with electricity.

Sandslash: the Mouse Pokémon. If it digs at an incredible pace, it may snap off the tips of its spikes and claws. They grow back in a day.

Scyther: the Mantis Pokémon. It tears and shreds prey with its wickedly sharp scythes. It very rarely spreads its wings to fly.

Poliwrath: the Tadpole Pokémon. It can live in or out of water. When out of water, it constantly sweats to keep its body slimy.

Diglett: the Mole Pokémon. It lives about one yard underground where it feeds on plant roots. Sometimes it appears aboveground.

Geodude: the Rock Pokémon. It's found in fields and mountains. Mistaking them for boulders, peopke often step or trip on them.


	4. Chapter 4

**Zorua Illusion helped again write with me. I don't have another author to thank for this chapter but Zorua Illusion has shown to be a friend in writing. If you have any questions about the story I will be the one who will answer them. Thank you for the reviews. **

XXX

All was peaceful the next morning. Deciding to forego the Secret Gym for now, Luc and Troy agreed to head out for Pewter City after breakfast. Their Pokémon ate near the two Trainers, though Charmander stuck closer to Luc.

Troy was describing his adventure so far: how he gained the two badges and how he found his other Pokémon team members, but Charmander slipping into Luc's lap startled him out of his focus. He hadn't even noticed the Pokémon chatter in his head, the story was so spell-bounding. Apparently, Charmander had waved his tail a little too close for comfort for Scyther's liking. The Mantis Pokémon got really defensive and scared Charmander, who climbed up onto Luc's lap for comfort. Scyther didn't feel any guilt at the reaction, instead stating quietly he'll learn.

Luc silently held out Charmander's Pokeball, asking him if he'd like to return without words. Charmander pushed the button and the red light encased him before he was gone, safe inside his Pokeball. Troy returned his Pokémon as well, seeing Scyther's crossed arms (blades?) and closed eyes.

"Sorry about that… Scyther's touchy at the best of times…" Troy scratched his head, embarrassed at his Pokémon's behavior.

Luc shrugged, though a finger wandered over Charmander's Pokeball comfortingly.

"We might as well head out now. We're burning daylight here!" Troy exclaimed. They grabbed their pack and threw away their trash. Troy left five hundred PokeYen as a tip on the table before the two left the Pokémon Center and went on their way toward Pewter City.

"There's two ways to get to Pewter, you know. There's the Forest which has a lot of Pokémon that would be good to enter in your Pokedex and/or catch to expand your party. If nothing else, there's some experience to be gained there. The other way is actually probably the way you want to go, though, just so that way you can get into the city and not have to battle with your stuff and end up having to spend the night there."

Luc nodded, trusting Troy's experience with the region. They used the second Route which was a fair bit longer than going through the forest but had no trainers and no tall grass for wild Pokémon to hide in. If there was any in the trees on the path they apparently decided to stay there as the two made it into Pewter without incident.

They had made it into the Pokémon Center and were checking in for the night when Luc felt a strange sensation in his left arm. It was like it had fallen asleep, but the pinprick feeling was stronger, as if he was being gently poked with needles. He knew it was a Pokémon that was in a lot of pain somehow. He searched for the Pokémon, asking Where are you?

The Pokémon was apparently in too much pain to question the voice. The forest.

_I'll find you. Just give me a minute to come after you. I'll need better directions though._

The bush halfway between the human-rock-den and the pond.

Nurse Joy handed the two the key cards to their room. Luc took his, smiling in thanks, before telling the Pokémon I'll be there soon. As soon as he put the card in a safe place, he dashed out of the Pokémon Center, surprising both Nurse Joy and Troy.

"I wonder where he's off to in such a hurry?" Nurse Joy was the first to recover.

Troy shook himself out of it before dashing after him. "Luc! Wait! Where are you going?!"

Luc was far ahead of him though, youth and adrenaline fueling him. He reached the injured Pokémon's location. Not wanting to scare them, he reached out with his mind first.

_It's okay. I'm the one who talked to you earlier. I'm going to move the bush so I can see your injury better._

_… Okay …_

Luc moved the bush, revealing a female Nidoran with a nasty scrape down her left foreleg.

_Ouch. Where'd you get this?_ Luc asked as he examined it, trying to keep her distracted as he checked the wound.

_Mankey and Spearow got into a fight… one of their attacks missed and I was in a bad place… It's strange, how often they fight now. They used to be good friends- here they come!_

The Nidoran, who had moved closer to Luc, dove back into the bush. A flare went up Luc's arm and he knew that the Nidoran had it much worse, but right now he was concerned about moving out of the way of a Spearow that flew by at a record pace, followed by a Mankey. Harsh blows being exchanged between them. They passed by without noticing Luc, but he interrupted their fierce fight by mentally yelling _Hey! What's going on?_

The Spearow and the Mankey looked at Luc. Troy, at this point, had caught up with him, but kept his distance after he notice Luc glaring at the two Pokémon who were battling ruthlessly moments before.

Spearow recovered first. _You can hear us?_

_Yes._

_Huh. That's rare._

Mankey growled. _Why do we care? Let's get back to battling!_

_Why are you two fighting? The Nidoran here said you two used to be good friends! What happened?_ Luc repeated.

_What happened? I'll tell you what happened! Some hotshot trainer decided that I would be perfectly happy in a ball on their belt and would do ask they said whenever they asked!_

Luc cringed slightly at the crude way of summing up what trainers do, but he had to admire the Pokémon's free spirit.

_And when he started battling me, this guy just flew away! What kind of friend does that?_

_What did you want me to do?_ Spearow demanded, turning back towards Mankey. _Seriously, what was I supposed to do? You won anyway, so I don't see why you're so dang irritated about this!_

Seeing Mankey gearing up to launch an attack (verbal or physical, no one would ever know), Luc interrupted.

_So he made a mistake! He shouldn't have flown away! But from what I've seen and heard about wild Pokémon versus Trainer battles is that it's usually one on one! Pokémon have some sense of fair play from what I've seen. And you won! You shouldn't be so ticked off about this. Friends forgive each other; that's a part of friendship._

Mankey still seemed irked, though not nearly as volatile as before. Grasping for straws, Luc said the only thing he could think of.

_What if you two battled against my friend and I here? You two could really see how strong friendship can be, even if it's new._

Spearow tilted it's head. _I'm in if you're in_, he told Mankey.

_Fine. Let's do it._

Luc shrugged before turning to Troy, gesturing that he should throw a Pokémon.

"You're going to use Charmander?" Troy asked, understanding the motion after a few seconds. His questions could wait. It was a rhetorical question; Luc only had Charmander to use. Luc confirmed this by throwing Charmander's Pokeball into the battlefield, the Lizard Pokémon declaring its name before getting into a battle stance.

"I think I'll use Ivy-" but before he could toss the Pokémon into battle, Scyther emerged from it's Pokeball unannounced.

Troy turned to Luc who shrugged.

Charmander shivered as he gazed up the taller Pokémon.

Luc was slightly irritated of all the fighting at this point. _You two are going to have to make up eventually. We're going to be near each other for a while and I won't tolerate feuds started over something as silly as a lack of talking with each other._

Apparently the way he said it and the look on his face convinced the two.

_Sorry for moving my tail too close to you,_ Charmander started. Scyther shook his head.

_It's my fault for being so touchy about it. Fire versus bug, you know? Sorry about freaking out and being a jerk._

Charmander nodded and the two returned to their battle stances, ready to work side-by-side for the first time.

Spearow nodded. _That's a friendship that's going to span ages._

Mankey looked thoughtful for a moment before returning to its natural face (angry). _Enough sap, let's get going!_ It started off with a Low Kick aimed towards Charmander.

_Jump and use Smoke Screen, Charmander! Think you can manage the haze, Scyther?_

With ease, Scyther snorted.

Spearow leapt up off of the ground and tried to blow away some of the smoke from Charmander with its speed, but Scyther moved just as quickly with a command from his trainer: "Use False Swipe, then disappear back in the smoke!"

Mankey, meanwhile, had hear the command and was trying to find Scyther in order to stop it from attacking his ally. But the process was interrupted by Charmander using Ember. Weak though the move was, Charmander had a stroke of luck as it burned Mankey. This irritated the Pokémon and it chased after Charmander with reckless abandon.  
Though Troy couldn't see the commotion occurring in the smoke, he could hear it. "Scyther! Find Charmander then team up against the two! Use Pursuit on Mankey!"

_Charmander! Find Scyther and see if you can get him to lend you some height to get to Spearow!_

The two Pokémon obeyed, and Scyther tossed Charmander up before going after Mankey. Despite its lack of effectiveness on Mankey, it still took a considerable chunk out of its HP because of Scyther's speed allowing him to gain more momentum, thus landing a stronger hit. The burn Charmander had given it didn't help, as it had used up a lot of it energy by chasing the fire lizard. The smoke was far thinner at this point. It was almost non-existent, so no one's sight was hindered anymore.

Meanwhile, Charmander used Ember on Spearow as it flew by. Spearow turned around quickly, figuring where the Ember had been launched from, but as it got close, Charmander barely managed to duck downward while using scratch to lower its HP more.

Scyther had defeated Mankey with a Quick Attack as per his Trainer's command. The Pig Monkey Pokémon now lay fainted on the forest floor. He turned to Spearow and Charmander, the latter of whose luck was running out as Spearow's speed allowed him to land several Pecks on him.

"Use Quick Attack to get over there, then use Pursuit on Spearow to get him away from Charmander!"

_Use Ember once he focuses on Scyther, Charmander!_

The Pokémon obeyed, and Spearow went down. Luc said _Nice job!_ to Scyther before saying the same thing to Charmander, rubbing his head.

The female Nidoran had forgotten all about her wound in the excitement. She focused in on how Luc treated Charmander after the battle. She had seen a lot of starters that were only returned to their Pokeballs, the Trainers already on the way to their next battle. This boy seemed to genuinely care for the Pokémon's well-being…

"Great job, Scyther! Return!" the Mantis Pokémon was enveloped in a red light before disappearing. Troy walked up and used two more Revives on the wild Pokémon.

_You want some more, tough guy?_ Mankey asked, but without any of the previous fire.

_A good battle. You two worked together very well._ Spearow commented tiredly. Troy wasn't able to understand them, but Luc nodded his thanks.

_Think you two can get along again? It wasn't just each other your feud was hurting_…Luc gestured Troy over to the bush where the Nidoran was hiding.

_He's a friend… I think he has some supplies that can help you._

_Thank you. What's your name, Trainer?_ She asked as she carefully emerged from her hiding spot.

Troy gasped as he saw the wound. "Is she what drove you here? I think I have a Potion in here, but we're going to want to take her to Nurse Joy. If that's okay with you…?"

Troy had noticed Luc's hard look at him then at the female Nidoran, getting the hint pretty quickly and turning towards the Pokémon for the last part.

_Luc._

_Luc… you seem to have a good heart. Got some space on you team for a Poison type?_

_Are you offering?_

_Are you taking?_

_I_ _suppose I am… but let Troy patch you up first._

As this was happening, Mankey and Spearow turned towards each other.

_I'm sorry for flying away… I should've done something to distract that Trainer…_

_The kid was right; that wouldn't be fair. You know how I am… sorry for getting so worked up over it._

_It's okay._ Spearow landed on Mankey's head. It was rather odd looking, but the slight weight of the bird-like Pokémon didn't bother the Fighting type at all.

Luc then took out a spare Pokeball after Troy used the Potion of the Nidoran. Clicking the button, a red light came over her before she disappeared. The Pokeball shook once, twice, three times and then locked with a resounding click!

Luc then entered the three into his Pokedex before waving a quick farewell to the two Pokémon who were now getting along.

"All in a day's work, huh?" Troy asked. Luc grinned before running back towards Pewter, eager to get Nidoran healed. He liked her personality, as did Charmander, so it was bound to be interesting to see the two interact. Besides; he still had to drop off his pack!

Troy stuck behind once again, questions swirling through his mind. How did Luc manage to fight with Charmander without issuing a single command? How did he solve the issue between the two Pokémon they had just fought? And why was a wild Nidoran so trusting of him when they were known to poison first before healing on their own?  
Troy shook off the questions before running after Luc. He'd find out soon enough.

Nidoran (Female): the Poison Pin Pokémon. Although small, its venomous barbs render this Pokémon dangerous. The female has smaller horns.

Spearow: the Tiny Bird Pokémon. Very protective of its territory, it flaps its short wings busily to dart around at high speed.

Mankey: the Pig Monkey Pokémon. It's unsafe to approach if it gets violently enraged for no reason and can't distinguish friends from foes.


	5. Chapter 5

**Zorua Illusion helped me write this chapter. It took awhile but I like to think a chapter that takes a long time to update is a good chapter. This chapter I stopped italicing what Pokémon and Luc says. I just want you to know. **

XXX

Pewter City was definitely larger than Pallet Town or Viridian City. Luc gazed about in slight awe as he and Troy entered.

Wow, Nidoran and Charmander said at the same time.

Troy noticed the expressions they wore and grinned. "If you think this is big, wait until we get to Saffron. I heard it's even larger!"

The party wandered over to the Pokémon Center to check in and drop off their stuff. It was a few days after the female Nidoran joined Luc's team, as they went back to the Pokémon Center in Viridian City and waited as Nurse Joy healed Nidoran from the injury she had sustained.

"Planning on challenging the Gym?" Nurse Joy said conversationally as she checked them in.

"I already did. Luc?" Troy asked. Luc nodded, taking his key card without much fuss. "You're at a disadvantage… he uses Rock and Ground types, for the most part. Both Fire and Poison are weak to that."

Luc shrugged.

"Fair enough," Troy agreed as they went towards their room, happy to rest.

The path to Pewter seemed brutal. Many trainers who were just starting out on their own journeys or who just hung around catching Bug Types made filled the Route so that Luc felt almost as if he couldn't take a step without a Trainer rushing up and battling him. Walking in the tall grass was a bit better, but sometimes wild Pokémon would attack them.

On the bright side, Charmander, Nidoran, and Luc all gained experience, but Luc was nervous about going to the room with Troy.

He kept forgetting that most Trainers shouted orders to their Pokémon, considering the lack of mental connection. He never had a chance to say anything in the Secret Gym, and they didn't have any wild Pokémon battles until Nidoran needed help. After the double battle with Spearow and Mankey, Troy started giving him odd looks whenever he got a bit too quiet.

Troy's reaction to hearing Luc's voice for the first time was hilarious and sent Luc into quiet giggles every time he thought about it. A random Trainer had challenged Luc on the Route and Luc agreed. She was the first trainer he would fight since Joel and he was a bit nervous, but they went to an open space of field and got ready.

The Trainer sent out a Caterpie, so Luc chose Charmander. He was going to send out his starter without saying anything when he noticed Troy staring at him. Remembering the professor's warning, he said just loud enough to be heard "Go, Charmander."

Troy fell backwards out of surprise, which ended up with the other Trainer looking over out of concern. Troy waved it off and the battle began. Luc remembered to say his commands aloud and they moved on, but it didn't stop Troy's suspicious looks.

Luc hadn't realized they had made it to the room already. Troy was strangely quiet as they dropped off their packs. Charmander and Nidoran easily picked up on the tension and started looking back and forth between the two.

Troy sat on the edge of his bed and looked straight at Luc. The younger Trainer noticed the look and sat down between his two Pokémon and starting to pet Charmander. The tension was thick between the two and the Pokémon shifted, unsure.

"How…. How did you battle with Charmander against Spearow and Mankey? How? How did you know where Nidoran was? How did you know she was hurt and how come she didn't try to hurt you? How did you do all of this without saying a word until just a few hours ago?" As the questions progressed, Troy picked up speed. He stood, agitated, and started pacing as well.

Luc just looked down, fingers dancing over Charmander's skin. Troy didn't push for answers, although Luc could tell he wanted to. Getting up, he opened the door and poked his head out, looking left and right. The hallway was empty, and Luc pulled his head back in and locked the door. He turned around to find Troy standing near him, obviously going to stop him from running if he tried to do so.

Luc sighed silently. He didn't mind talking, he just preferred not to, but this wasn't a situation that would afford him that luxury. But Troy had helped him when the boy didn't need to, and had proved so far to be trustworthy. He would have to call the Professor after this, but that was a concern for a different time.

"I can talk with Pokémon."

Troy just stared.

Luc nervously gazed back. "I don't know how, or why, but we can understand each other without sound."

"That's… I... wow." Troy looked as unsure as Luc. "I mean, it makes sense, but it's… farfetched."

Luc grinned slightly, miming a vertical slice to mimic the Pokémon Farfetch'd in an attempt to ease the situation a bit. It worked; Troy started laughing, long and hard. Luc joined in with his quiet giggles, and the Pokémon reacted too. Charmander cuddled in closer to Luc's hand and Nidoran started rubbing against Troy's legs like a cat, happy the issue had apparently been solved.

The laughter stopped slowly, giggle fits still coming from the two as they calmed down.

"Okay, so you can talk to Pokémon. I can see why you didn't tell me right away, but… can you prove it?"

Luc grinned. This was the easy part. He grabbed the complimentary pen and pad from the nightstand drawer and placed it on the bed, giving instructions to Charmander mentally. He also spoke with Nidoran, telling he wasn't quite sure how to prove it with her. She jumped up and curled in his lap, her way of forgiving him.

Meanwhile, Charmander was hard at work on the notepad. It was a lot more than the simple "yes" he had written for the Professor short days ago, but he finished and held it out to Troy.

The single message said "Hi, I'm Charmander" in sloppy, childish handwriting. Troy's eyes widened.

"Wow… I guess this proves it, then…" Troy mumbled.

Luc took the note and tossed it in the trash can, but Troy grabbed it and held it out to Luc and Charmander.

"You're going to want to burn this… leave no evidence behind."

Luc looked confused, but he took Troy's advice to heart and had Charmander spit a small ember at it in the bathroom sink. He let it burn to ashes, then washed it down with water from the tap. He was wary of setting off the smoke detector, but it didn't go off, so Luc relaxed a bit.

As the two entered the main room, Troy started talking again.

"You may just be able to overcome Brock despite type disadvantage… he uses Geodude and Onix, and you'll probably want to watch out for the latter, seeing as it knows Bide."

Both Pokémon winced.

I'd rather not get hit by that, Chamander said.

"We've still got quite a bit of time left before the Gym closes for the night. Do you want to go challenge it now?"

Luc looked at his two Pokémon, who both nodded. Charmander climbed up onto his shoulders as Luc picked up Nidoran and the four headed on their way. It wasn't a long walk to the Gym. As he was sight-seeing, Luc noticed a museum directly across the street from the building where Troy was heading and made a mental note to check it out later.

As they neared the building, they noticed a tan man with dark, spiked hair out in front of the building with a canvas in front of him.

As they got closer, Troy called out "Hey, Brock!"

The man jumped a little, surprised as the sudden call. Luckily, the paintbrush wasn't near the canvas at the time, so whatever he was painting wasn't ruined.

"Troy! I thought you had decided that gyms weren't for you?" Brock seemed happy to see the other Trainer. His eyes flitted over to Luc and he burst out grinning.

"Ah, you're Ash's and Misty's kid, aren't you?" Luc nodded.

"I hope your parents mentioned me to you."

Luc nodded again, pointing at the painting. Brock tilted his head in confusion, not understanding what Luc was trying to communicate.

"I think he means they have a photo of you," Troy filled in. Luc nodded; his friend had guessed correctly. His family had several pictures of the friends Ash and Misty had made through their lives. They had one of Brock and his wife, who seemed to be somewhere else, at their wedding, along with several others.

"Did you defeat your father in the Viridian Gym?"

Luc shook his head. He'd challenge his dad later.

"Wait. You're dad's the Viridian Gym Leader?" Troy asked, alarmed.

Luc shook his hand in a "kind of" motion. He mimed sleeping, trying to say his father was taking a break. But it did cause some concern, as Troy told him the Gym was dangerous when they first met.

"Oh…" Troy sounded relieved.

"Is this because of the accident you were telling me about, Troy?" Brock set down his painting supplies, turning his full attention to the conversation. He said to Luc "There was a collapse at the Viridian Gym… some people said it was because of all the Electric moves Pikachu used, but… Pikachu's attacks never hit the ceiling. Ash always made sure of that; he didn't want Rock types losing because of sprinklers." Brock and Luc laughed at the story of how Ash earned his victory at the Pewter City Gym. Troy looked on confusedly, but put it down to a joke he would understand if he knew Ash.

Luc frowned after the fact, thinking.

"What's with the face?" Troy asked.

Luc groaned mentally. Another instance where he had to talk, as it be far less time consuming and frustrating than trying to mime it out.

"There was a cave-in at the lab right before I got Charmander," Luc said softly.

Brock frowned. "That's almost the exact same time you told me the Viridian Gym caved in, wasn't it Troy?"

Troy nodded, also puzzled. "I'd say coincidence but…"

"A Gym and a Lab? On the same day?" Brock finished the thought. "I'll make some calls. Anyway, I'm assuming you're here to try to claim the badge?"

Luc nodded, happy to be off the disheartening topic.

"Well, far be it from me to turn down a challenge! Follow me; I'm just going to put this up to dry first."

Both Trainers followed the Gym Leader into his Gym. Troy lead the way to the field as Brock went down a side hall to put up his painting.

A few minutes later, Troy was sitting in the bleachers with his Pokémon all out and watching as the referee stood on his box, calling out "This will be a two versus two single battle! The challenger gets the first move. Ready… Go!"

Who wants to go first? Luc asked his Pokémon. Nidoran said she'd go, and Charmander agreed.

"Go, Nidoran," Luc said calmly, tossing the Pokeball and allowing Nidoran to emerge.

"Come on out, Geodude!"

The Rock/Ground type banged its fists together as it emerged, shouting its name in an attempt to intimidate Nidoran. She simply started licking her left foreleg, seemingly bored. Geodude twitched but otherwise gave up the act.

"Tail Whip," Luc decided. Nidoran put on her cutest looking face and wiggled her tail around. Geodude's arms dropped slightly as Brock called out his own counter.

"Use Tackle, Geodude!"

Geodude started charging forward, but apparently fighting all those trainers on the route gave Luc an idea.

"Dodge it and use Poison Sting, Nidoran!"

"Defense Curl!"

Geodude brought its arms in front of its face as Nidoran shot a poison needle from her back. Geodude flinched as it struck and became sickly looking.

"Wow, poisoned on the first shot! That hardly ever happens," Troy commented. Scyther nodded. Ivysaur was snoozing at his Trainer's side and Diglett was the only one inside their Pokeball; Troy would let them out after the match.

"Fight through it, Geodude, and try using Tackle again!" Brock encouraged his Pokémon.

"Jump and use Double Kick as it passes underneath you, Nidoran!" Luc commanded, still just as quiet as he was at the start.

Nidoran may have had a type disadvantage, but the Double Kick struck true and Geodude fell forward, swirls for eyes.

"That was… surprisingly fast… then again, moving probably didn't help with the Poison status it had."

Scyther nodded, and although he knew his Trainer wouldn't hear him he said The poison took out probably a good third of its health. The Double Kick had type advantage and did it in. A lucky round, but I don't think this will be quite as fast. Luc heard him, though, and took the advice to heart. Getting too confident can mess up a good run.

"Return, Geodude! You did a good job," Brock said as he recalled the Pokémon, sticking the Pokeball back on his belt.

"Go, Onix!"

The Rock Snake Pokémon was more threatening than its counterpart because of the height difference. Nidoran ignored its attempt at intimidation again, but didn't taunt it.  
Might not turn out so well for us, she warned Luc.

Here's to hoping, he replied.

"Use Bind, Onix!"

Luc winced. He had heard horror stories from his dad about the time Onix had used Bind on Pikachu.

"Jump over its Tail and use Poison Sting, Nidoran!"

Unfortunately, Nidoran didn't jump quite high enough and the edge of Onix's tail nicked her. Luckily, she wasn't bound in wrap, but she did take some damage from the hit. She slid and turned to face her massive opponent.

"Try Screech!" Brock said. Onix opened its mouth and let out an ear-splitting shriek. Nidoran dug her face down close to the ground, trying to block out the sound, and Luc had to cover his ears.

Troy covered Ivysaur's ears, who had jumped up wide awake from the sudden noise. Scyther flinched but didn't move otherwise.

As fast as it started, it stopped.

"Double Kick, Nidoran!"

"Use Bind when it gets close!"

"Get creative!" Was the only thing Luc could think of to say, but it was what Nidoran needed. She saw the tail coming for her, so she waited until the timing was just right… there! She hopped and landed on top of the tail, hitching a ride closer to the massive body. There she stuck, landing two solid hits on Onix before she leapt away towards Luc, trying to get out of range.

"Use Bide, Onix!" Brock said, noticing that his main Pokémon was looking a bit tired. The move usually worked on first-time Trainers, but Luc had an idea.  
"Use Poison Sting again and again, Nidoran!" The move might be extremely weak against Onix, but that was the point. Nidoran wouldn't take too much of a hit, and attempting to inflict Onix with poison would be worth a shot.

Both Pokémon did as ordered, and as Onix released the unavoidable blast on Nidoran, Luc noticed that it too looked a bit sickly. Unfortunately, the Poison Stings must have done more damage than he or Nidoran calculated, as she fainted from the blast. He called her back, saying "Amazing job" as he replaced her ball on his belt. Charmander got up from his shoulders and entered the field with a few encouraging motions from Luc.

Onix and Charmander had a stare down for a few seconds before Brock called out the first move "Try using Tackle!"

Onix started charging head first towards Charmander, who looked nervous.

I'm right here, Charmander, Luc reassured quickly before calling out his own command. "Ride it, Charmander!"

Charmander jumped up and caught a hold of Onix's fin-like structure on top of its head.

"Shake him off, Onix!"

"Use Dragon Rage before he has the chance!"

That was it. Dragon Rage sent Onix to the ground, swirls for eyes. The impact nearly took out Charmander, but the Lizard Pokémon hung on.

"Onix is unable to battle. Charmander is the winner!"

The Lizard happily climbed onto his Trainer's shoulders with a smile. Brock came up and said "Congrats, Luc! That was really impressive! Here you go, your own Boulder Badge! And take this, too. It's Bide. But be wary as TMs can only be used once. Neither of your Pokémon can use it, but hold onto it in case you catch another Pokémon who'd like to learn it." Brock handed over a badge that Luc stuck in its place in the badge holder and a CD-like object that Luc just held onto, seeing as his pack was still in the room in the Pokémon Center. Troy came down and congratulated Luc on his first win and asked Brock if it would be okay for Diglett to come out. Brock laughed and agreed and asked Luc to wait for a few minutes while he turned his Pokémon over to Nurse Joy for healing. Luc went with him, however, saying his Pokémon needed healing too. About fifteen minutes later, they returned. Brock popped in the Gym and emerged with his art supplies that he set up.

"I picked up painting about a year ago… it's a good way to kill time while I wait for Trainers to come to the gym. But this one keeps bugging me… it's missing something, and I can't think of what. Do you have an idea?"

Luc looked at the painting and saw it was of the gym and some of the surroundings. He noted that it looked amazing with the detailing Brock had done, but had to admit it was missing something.

Looking at the painting then at the surroundings, Luc knew what was missing. He pointed at himself and Brock and made a wide, sweeping gesture. Turning around, Brock saw that there were some pedestrians out and about, walking from place to place, and there were a few groups on the benches or at tables eating lunch.

"Oh!" And Brock dived back into his work. Troy emerged at this point and walked over to Luc, saying "We should get lunch. He'll be here awhile… let's grab something for him as well."

They bought and sub sandwiches before returning to the gym where they saw that Brock had just finished the last somewhat indistinct figure. The painting now looked so much livelier with people and Pokémon wandering around. Brock's stomach grumbled as soon as he pulled the brush away from the final stroke. He turned around and saw Luc and Troy there, the latter holding out a bag that held a sandwich in it.

Brock rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed. "Am I that predictable?"

Troy shrugged. "Food wise, yes." Brock took that bag, thanking them. He grabbed the painting carefully and took it in to dry completely as Luc and Troy picked up the rest of the supplies and put them away as instructed by Brock.

"Congrats again on winning. Tell your parents I say hi next time you talk to them!" Brock called out as they left the gym. Luc and Troy waved as they went back towards the Pokémon Center for the night, happy that everything was settled.

For now.


End file.
